Hermle movement not chiming

[Txaggie]

Hermle 451-053 has stopped chiming. I bought the movement in 2004 and built a case for it. It has worked well until now. On the quarter hour, the chime locking cam will turn 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn and stall. If I help it, it will turn the rest of the way and chime. I cleaned the movement in clock wash solution (without disassembly), oiled it and no significant change. When should the air governor start spinning? It will spin a couple of times about 5 minutes before the hour, then stop. It will begin spinning again right at the quarter hour. Any advice is much appreciated. I am a rank amateur at this.

 

[Dick Feldman]

The governor spinning for a short period just before the chime sequence actuates is called "warn." The train is released to one of the top wheels that has a pin in its perimeter. (called the warn wheel). That pin collides with a lever that is released at the hour or quarter. The purpose of the warn is to load the entire wheel train and to release it having power to the entire train. That is normal.
It is not recommended to try to clean clock movements while assembled but you probably have done no harm.
The chime train (right hand weight facing the clock) is the one requiring the most energy. Therefore it should have the heaviest weight of the three. It is also the first train to normally fail because of that energy requirement. First step, check the location of the weights.
The clock movement may be in its last stages of useful life. Hermle movements normally have a 20-25 year life span.
Your next step should be to check the movement for wear. Wear in clock movements is normal and at some point the wear will cause enough friction that the clock will not operate properly. There are numerous posts in the history of this board on how to check for wear and the options to solve that wear.
That is a start
Please check back,
Dick

 

[Willie X]

With the weights off, wiggle the small stop disk (with the notch) and the larger chime sequence disk to the right. Any wiggle in either disc will indicate your movement has danced its last dance and one (or both) of those extended pivots will need to be rebushed. The center shaft and the back ends of the the just mentioned arbors are likely candidates for wear also.

Did you see any black deposits (pivot poop) before you rinsed it? This is a sure sign of a bad pivot/pivot hole.

Someone posted a video of this issue about a week back, 'Should I Bush These'.

Check it out and report back, Willie X

 

[Txaggie]

Thank you for the responses. The weights are correct because I left the labels on the bottom. As for the "pivot poop" the answer is yes. Before cleaning I checked several of them with toothpicks and the tips were black. I took the weights off and wiggled the cams. Yes there is some wiggle room in both. It is beyond my skill level to install bushings. I can get a replacement movement for $375. Is this my best route? A big learning for me was that these movements don't last any longer than they do. One last thing. I put more oil on the locking cam (too much I'm sure) and worked the movement around with the minute hand for about 12 hours and the chimes worked perfectly. I put in back in service and it chimed for an hour or so then stopped. Thank you again for your responses.

 

[Dick Feldman]

Replacement of your movement with new is one option.
I would caution you in trying a "rebuilt" movement on an auction site, etc.
Most of those are simply "fixed" and will not give long term reliability.
New movements today are not of the quality that your original was.
The clock industry is under severe economic pressure at present and it does not look like things will improve.
The manufacturers have been forced to lessen quality control measures. The buying public today would rather change batteries in a clock once a year rather than wind a clock once a week. Sad note but true.
There are only a very few movement manufacturers still in operation. Many have failed and become reincarnated due to bankruptcy, etc.
Today, it is not uncommon to take a new movement out of the box and find it will simply not run.
You can expect any new movement to have a shorter lifespan than the original.
Many will not make the two year, manufacturer's warranty.
Another option is to have a qualified technician rebuild the one you have.
Emphasis on qualified. There are many repair people today that do a less than complete job but will charge for the complete job. This will be the most expensive option but probably the longest lasting option.
If a repair shop suggests clean, oil and adjust as cures, find a different, competent shop.
Most good repair people are have a substantial backlog, sometimes up to a year or more.
I am not the bearer of good tidings but it is what it is.
Best Regards,
Dick

 

[NEW65]

It will probably need a few bushings fitting , especially front (and probably rear ) chime stop and chime count gears. It's not a big job but it has to be done right. If I was nearby I'd do it for you! However there are lots of repairmen on here who would do you a good job.
Good luck with it.

 

[shutterbug]

Your easiest "fix" is a new movement, but as mentioned they are not great quality any more. Yours ran well for 20 years. Usually they'll go 25 before problems get to be too much for the clock to overcome. The chime side is always first to go, because of the heavier weight required to make it all work. This is not a movement for a novice to repair. You might find a good repairman in your area who can rebuild the movement for you. It will cost about the same as a new movement, but will result in a better investment.